The management of the County's most important assets, its employees, and good morale among County employees is essential to effective government and the efficient provision of governmental services to the citizens of El Paso County. A good understanding of employment policies and procedures together with uniform and fair administration is essential to the development and maintenance of good employee relations. As such, the County's HR Department, shall revise and implement County policies, as necessary, to ensure a progressive County organization.

The Administrative Leave Policy has been edited to reflect the following items:

• Expands what administrative leave may be used for to include mandatory Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) appointments during work hours and County closures due to inclement weather, emergency situations, and other reasons as authorized by Commissioners Court;
• Clarifies the rate of pay and benefit accruals when placed on administrative leave;
• Clarifies the total hours allowed for administrative leave for any employee is 40 hours per calendar year, and expands the total hours to 120 hours per calendar year when an employee is involved in an investigation for alleged violations to the County's Anti-Harassment policy;
• Clarifies that administrative leave shall be granted for employees who are required to appear at a Civil Service Commission meeting in a grievant or witness capacity, and only when such attendance occurs during the employee's scheduled work time; and
• Includes language concerning the ability to produce utilization reports for performance measures purposes as necessary.

The revision of this policy includes input from other departments and elected officials, and was reviewed by the County Attorney's Office and presented to the Civil Service Commission for recommendation and approval on Tuesday, September 4, 2018.